Case study
APEX for a Tech Business
How we helped a fast-growing tech business secure two senior hires in a new market.
The challenge
A fast-growing technology business approached us at a monumental moment in its expansion across Australia and New Zealand. Its software product was already a global leader in a niche B2C space, but locally, the business was still in the early stages of growth. To support its next chapter, it needed to hire two senior professionals.
On paper, the opportunity was exciting. In reality, it came with clear hurdles.
Locally, they were viewed as a startup rather than a well-established business. They had limited governance and structure, their product was still unfamiliar in the region, and their staff was limited in number. In a nutshell, their sales numbers were driven by hope, not numbers.
Their selection criteria were also selective. They wanted talent that could hit the ground running, backed by their experience in growing a startup to scale up. But what it didn’t take into account was that candidates with that kind of track record are rarely looking for opportunities like this.
And that wasn’t all. While the founders were equity partners, new hires were offered a market-average salary and modest bonus, which meant the opportunity needed to be sold on more than remuneration alone.
The solution
Identifying the chance
We positioned the opportunity for what it really was: the chance to join at the ground floor of something with serious growth potential. Because this wasn’t just any startup opportunity. This was a chance for the right people to be at the forefront of something big, while also accelerating their careers.
Playing to our strengths
We also played to our strengths by concentrating our search where the business had the strongest foothold and where the CEO was based. Although the roles had a national remit, focusing on this location helped us engage the candidates better, owing to the face-to-face meetings and informal follow-ups throughout.
Finding the right people
And then came the most important part. Finding people who didn’t just look on paper, but could rise to the occasion. People who could see value in what the opportunity presented, understand the demands that came with it, and are motivated by the long-term upside rather than put off by the short-term uncertainty.
Results
We delivered on our promise – and then some.
Both roles were filled within eight weeks of the brief.
The successful candidates had the skillset the company was looking for, but what made them the right fit was their passion to join the business and be part of its growth journey. A passion that was clear even after nine months.
What started as a search for two critical hires became the start of a broader relationship – with Apex by PeopleScout now the go-to search partner for the business as it continues to grow.
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